The new Zaldo financial learning materials for
pupils attract high praise from teachers. The materials are free of
charge and designed for teachers to use as part of their classes. The concept
also includes a final test; last year’s winning class came from the Merikoski
school in Oulu and won itself a ticket to the European Money Quiz final, held
in Brussels in the spring.
”For years now, my colleague and I have used the Zaldo tests for ninth-graders. The materials are very good – even better now that they have been updated –and offer variety to classes”, commends Heikki Honkanen, teacher of history and social sciences at the Porin Lyseo school. ”The materials are not a walk in the park for us teachers, either!” adds Honkanen.
The Zaldo.fi online learning resource was originally designed to support the financial education offered as part of social sciences courses in secondary school (grades 7–9). The material is intended for classroom use and it includes interactive exercises and a final test that the class completes together. The final test can even be used as a course exam. The resource is offered by Junior Achievement Finland, Finance Finland and the Finnish Financial Ombudsman Bureau in collaboration with the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion.
With the new national curriculum introduced in 2016, social studies courses were also added to the primary school curriculum for grades 4–6. Mini-Zaldo, a tailored version of the original Zaldo was therefore created for primary school pupils in autumn 2017. Now grades 4–9 all have their own materials and final tests.
”This new version of Zaldo is excellent, even better than the original! It is modern, it meets the curriculum objectives and it can even be used at home”, explains Matti Arola, teacher of history and social sciences at the Merikoski school in Oulu.
Two pupils to compete in Brussels
The highest score in the Zaldo final test was achieved by Class 9B of the Merikoski school in Oulu under the tutelage of Arola. As the winning class, they gained two tickets to the European Money Quiz final, held in Brussels in early May. The competition is organised by the European Banking Federation.
Arola was thrilled that his class won. ”I knew we had a good team. I’m immensely proud that my pupils did so well in such a tough competition. Our motto here (at the Merikoski school) is that we don’t just try our best, we do our best!”
Pictured here is Class 9D from the Porin Lyseo school, which won the secondary school cash prize in the draw.
Cash prizes drawn by lot in the spring as well
Taught by Heikki Honkanen, Class 9D from the Porin Lyseo school won the 200-euro cash prize in the draw that included all secondary school classes that have more than 10 pupils and that took Zaldo’s final exam. The second 200-euro prize was drawn by lot among primary school classes, with the Simonkylä school in Vantaa being the lucky winner. Cash prizes of 200 euros will also be drawn by lot in the spring to one secondary school class and one primary school class that takes the final test. In total, approximately 8,000 pupils completed Zaldo’s online exercises and more than 700 pupils took the final test.
